Help With Plant Substrate

[Jon1706]

Hi all im moving house in two months and was thinking of adding a Plant Substrate to my tank once i set it up again. I want to keep my gravel i have in there as i like it. Ive been looking at API Pure Laterite, and then adding the Tropica Plant Substrate on top of that then my gravel or is this been a little ott. As i said ive got 8 weeks to sort this out before i move so i8m looking in to it now before its to late. And would i need to re house my fish while it sorted it self out or is it ok to plant and then add the water and the fish. have fun everyone

 

[aaronnorth]

i would just use the tropica substrate capped with gravel, fish can be put in the tank straight away.

 

[Jon1706]

thank you mate. Can i use the root tabs as well

 

[piper]

Yes

 

[SuperColey1]

You're wasting money.

Root tabs are for inert substrates or to give an old nutrient rich substrate that is 'wasted' a boost. No need to add them into a new nutrient rich substrate.

Just use the Tropica under normal gravel/sand. No need to add anything else.

AC

 

[Jon1706]

Thats good just got a lot of root tabs and i don't want to wast them. And i don't think im going to use them all before i move.

 

[piper]

I thought that root tabs would extend the time nutrients stay in the main substrate.

 

[SuperColey1]

The substrate contains the same nutrients as the root tabs. therefore adding the substrate is enough. If you add the tabs it will just be like adding more substrate.

However why add them?

Tropica substrate is approx £19 per 5 ltr which is I would guess by the bag about 10kg, maybe a little less.

Good root tabs even if buying packs of 40 cost approx £25 and they are 3g each.

The idea of root tabs is that if you have a tank setup and you don't want to take it apart and change substrate then you can push the root tabs into the existing substrate. this is the same for standard inert gravels or old nutrient rich substrates.

Dependent on the type of nutrient substrate you use it can even be a little pointless to use root tabs in an old nutrient substrate. some of them are made to soak up some nutrient from the water column meaning it is virtually replenishing itself. It won't have as much within it as a fresh bag but will always be holding some!!!

AC

 

[Jon1706]

thanks for that info that really good to know. Can i had more root tabs in my gravel now to use them up before i move?

 

[SuperColey1]

Of course. put them close to any larger plants. Some of the nutrient will spread enough for the others.

AC

 

[Jon1706]

thanks i will do. I didn't know you could put more in then it says on the tub.